Detroit will use data to identify barriers to economic opportunity for residents, test promising strategies, and share learnings with other communities

Detroit one of ten American cities to participate in new national initiative

June 18, 2019: Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ballmer Group announced today that Detroit is one of ten American cities that will participate in a new national initiative to identify, pilot, and measure the success of interventions to accelerate economic mobility for their residents. Over the next 18 months, Detroit will help connect low-income residents in affordable housing units to programs and services that increase their economic opportunities and likelihood of achieving housing stability.

This project coincides with Detroit’s increasing investment into the preservation and development of affordable housing, including the launch of the city-sponsored $250 million Affordable Housing Leverage Fund. As the City invests more in affordable housing, this initiative will use a metrics-based approach to identify best ways that affordable housing can serve as an access point to the City’s wide array of services.

The defining characteristic of the American Dream is upward mobility, but new data from Opportunity Insights shows that the current generation’s chances of earning more than their parents are declining. In many communities, young people and families face significant barriers to climbing the economic ladder based on the neighborhoods in which they live.

The new national initiative, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ballmer Group, seeks to respond to the strong demand among local leaders for new, more effective interventions to address rising income inequality and declining economic mobility. In Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2018 American Mayors Survey – the largest comprehensive public-opinion survey of mayors and city managers – one of their top concerns was the challenge of providing more and better economic opportunities for all residents.

“In Detroit, it’s one of our top priorities to develop and preserve affordable housing across the city. Now were going to take a closer look at best ways to connect residents in these units to the services Detroit has to offer, such as job training through Detroit at Work,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “We are so excited to get to work on this initiative with the support of great partners like Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ballmer Group.”

Detroit was selected through a competitive process that looked at local commitment to addressing economic mobility, willingness to use data and evidence to accelerate progress, and ability to dedicate a team to accomplish the initiative’s goals. The initiative is supported by a $12 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ballmer Group that was announced last fall.

Over the next 18 months, Detroit will develop, pilot, and measure the early impacts of data-driven methods connecting affordable housing residents to resources, designed to help improve residents’ long-term economic mobility. University of Michigan Poverty Solutions is providing support to this initiative as part of its partnership with the City of Detroit to identify and implement evidence based strategies to reduce poverty in the city. Detroit will also work closely with other cities participating in the initiative to share lessons and experiences to further advance the work and build a model for future collaboration among cities on the topic.

Additionally, Opportunity Insights at Harvard University is helping Detroit staff draw insights regarding economic mobility in the community using data from the Opportunity Atlas, an interactive resource developed in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau.

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 510 cities and 129 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $767 million. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

About Ballmer Group:

Ballmer Group works to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty. We believe that building pathways to opportunity requires broad, systemic change. We invest in many stages of a child’s life by supporting strong community partnerships among public, private, and nonprofit organizations that use data to more effectively serve families. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist and civic activist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org and on Twitter @BallmerGroup.

About Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Susan Desmond-Hellmann and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.